Sports
Soccer Title Slips by Osbourn in Sudden Death
After six periods of play, the Osbourn Eagles lost their shot at the regional title with a missed penalty kick.
After two periods of regular play and four five-minute periods of overtime in the soccer Northwestern Regional Semifinals, the Osbourn Eagles and Riverbend Bears found themselves kicking penalty kicks to decide a scoreless game.
The teams kicked back and forth ten times each, coming up evenly paced until the eleventh kicker for Osbourn, senior Luis Arjona missed his shot. Riverbend senior Ryan Zinkhan finished the game immediately afterward with the game’s only goal.
“It’s a great feeling,” Zinkhan said of the game-winning kick. “I wanted to be the guy to send us to States.”
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The scoreless periods of regular and extended play weren’t for lack of trying. In the second period of overtime, both teams scored goals that were taken away because of penalties.
Riverbend took 19 shots over two periods of regular play and four overtime periods, Osbourn took 13.
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Osbourn head coach Eric Mauck said the game came down to missed opportunities.
“I have to give it to both teams, we had our chances and they had theirs,” Mauck said.
Osbourn took two shots in the final period of overtime and missed both. One, by senior Zach Hoover bounced off the top of the goal. Another, by Arjonia went to the right.
“It was ridiculous,” Hoover said. “It deflates you but you got to get back into it.”
Assistant head coach Cliff Wright credited the win to the defense's ability to control the field.
“We came out to start the game fired up,” Wright said. “We controlled the game in the beginning, they had to come take it from us.”
Osbourn made four shots in the first half, five in the second and three in overtime. Riverbend made eight shots in the first half, eight in the second and three in overtime.
Mauck also credited the defense for holding off Riverbend’s scoring.
“I thought the defense did well, they kept us in the game,” Mauck said.
Osbourn’s goalkeeper, senior Jordan Tatum made five saves during the game.
Zinkan said that it came down to his team’s attitude.
“We played our hearts out, we left nothing on the field,” he said.
Mauck said he was happy with his team, despite the night’s loss.
“This team was all fight. It was a great team to coach,” Mauck said. “We’re going to keep our heads held high.”
Riverbend will go on to play North Stafford High School June 3 for the regional title.
